1940s AMERICAN MUSIC AND FASHION

1940’s AMERICAN MUSIC AND FASHION

America during the 1940’s was dominated by the effect of World War 2, which pushed people out of the great depression and into many new forms of disasters. Music styles were often combined and played vicariously on the radio, which was attracting a wide mass media market. A famous combined American music form which is well known today is rock and roll. “Based most strongly off an electric guitar-based version of the Chicago blues, rock also incorporated jazz, country, folk, swing, and other types of music; in particular, bebop jazz and boogie woogie blues were in vogue and greatly influenced the music style” (‘Music Charts & One hit wonders’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008, http://www.tunecharts.com/?1940s-Music). This style of music became popular and quickly reached various people including many black African nations. Some of the musical success during the early 1940s was ‘Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock”.

Duet singers and small groups began to form during the early 1940s in America, as many people tried to uplift their spirits from the growing impact of the war. The most popular singing group during the 1940s in America was ‘The Andrews Sisters’, their popularity grew quickly and they were known to sing constantly to war troops during war time. The Andrews sisters included Patty, Maxene and LaVerne in their success “they hosted their own radio shows for ABC & CBS from 1944-1951, singing specially-written commercial jingles for such products as Wrigley's chewing gum, Dole pineapples, Nash motor cars, Kelvinator home appliances, Campbell's soups, and Franco-American food products”(‘Singers.com’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008, http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/andrews.html). However by the late 1940s many duets couples and bands broke up and soon famous names that will be forever lasting in American music history began to arise. These were Bing Crosby's, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore, Kate Smith and Perry Como which would later become inspirations to younger artists of today.

Money and rations during the 1940s in America was sent to help out the soldiers and the war. Fashion had therefore decreased as fabric become harder to purchase and soon women’s fashion was strongly influenced by the military outfits. America was very poor during the war, “Some women even made outfits for themselves and their children out of feed and flour sacks because that material was available to them”( ‘1940s Fashion’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008, http://www.usd230.k12.ks.us/espictt/fashion/fashionhome.htm). Individuals were under strict regulations for minimal fabric usage. Buttons were still limited to three and cuffs were eliminated due to the cost. During the 1940s in America it was common of women to reveal their legs nicely, although this was often difficult because stockings were rather expensive, “Nylon stockings disappeared in 1943” ( ‘1940s Fashion’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008, http://www.usd230.k12.ks.us/espictt/fashion/fashionhome.htm). So if women could not afford stocking, they often had to paint them on, this displayed the desperate situation America was in during the 1940s.

American designers created a new style of suits for women. Skirts were short and straight topped by short jackets of twenty-five inches or less in length. Cardigans matched skirts and sheath evening dresses replaced the long flowing gowns of the thirties. Fashions of the war era usually were often square shouldered and short skirted. Designers instead decided to begin creating sets of clothes that could be mixed and matched, “coordinating components in order to create the illusion of more outfits than one actually had” (‘1940s Fashion’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008,
http://www.usd230.k12.ks.us/espictt/fashion/fashionhome.htm). This was therefore an easier solution for the women to mix up their clothes since fabric was expensive due to the war.

This posting can have connections to political matters as America was battling in WW2 during the 1940s. WW2 become politically based and the music and the fashion became political icon’s of the era. The fashion was often used to represent the era of war, as most of the women’s dresses displayed the sailor collars and sections of the war uniforms. The use of the war uniform designs incorporated into everyday clothes was actually used because of the restriction of money and the promotion of the war. Although this posting of American fashion and music isn’t fully related to a political matter, law or moral, it is however connected with the war as they were ways of expression. The music during the 1940s in America became a dedication to the way people felt about the time. Songs during the 1940s in America often represented the mood and emotions of the attitudes of individuals. Songs have often been dedicated to times and incidents, these could have been in tribute to their feelings of the time period or family whom had gone to war.

REFERENCE LIST:

‘Music Charts & One hit wonders’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008,
http://www.tunecharts.com/?1940s-Music

‘Singers.com’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008,
http://www.singers.com/jazz/vintage/andrews.html

‘1940s Fashion’, modified 2008, viewed 11th of April 2008,
http://www.usd230.k12.ks.us/espictt/fashion/fashionhome.htm